Last time I went to Sydney on an eating holiday, I left with one regret, not having gone to Sasaki. Having been a long time fan of Cre Asion (arguably the best cafe in Australia), I really should have gotten some sort of notification when the owner Yu Sasaki decided to open up a restaurant next to the cafe, along Alberta lane.
Making a booking as soon as our trip was finalised, we were lucky to still make it, but not lucky enough to get an inside seat. With that, we were banished to the windy and somewhat dark exterior.
Table setup was still impeccable though, and I loved how they set up context via text on their placemat.
The menu was simple and homey, just as the chef intended. I loved almost all of the menu and was keen to try it all out. So of course, we settled for an omakase dinner.
Starting off with drinks, Iron Fist had his signature red wine and I tried some ume. I really liked the sweet refreshing ume which was almost juicy in taste.
Having ordered the omakase, we were given individual menus to track our meal progression. Love this added attention to detail.
Starting our course was the Oyster and Mandarin. By mandarin, it was a raw oyster served with mandarin oil, a definitely sweeter alternative to the usual lemon juice, it was wonderfully fresh, tangy and appetising.
Second course was the Scallop, Celeriac and Kombu. It was also topped with shiso paste and potato crisps. I absolutely adored the delicate fresh flavours of the scallop. The smooth texture was well contrasted by crunchy potato crisps.
Third course was Egg and Prawn. Steamed egg custard chawanmushi served with dashi and poached king prawn, it is a dish that I am also intimately familiar with as mum would make this quite a bit for me in my youth. The egg custard was far smoother than home, but brought back feelings of nostalgia. Added prawn gave it some more texture and meatiness.
Fourth course was initially supposed to be Bonito, Apple and Ponzu. Alas they were out of bonito that day and so the fish of the day was Kingfish. It came with ginger, garlic chips and chives. Kingfish tataki was fresh like the rest of the seafood today, it was very thick cut and meaty. Garlic and ginger added some zing to it (although I could have done with more garlic chips), and the chives were a nice touch. Coupled with the apple ponzu, it was an unusual combination, but one I definitely appreciated. 
Fifth course, Asparagus, Corn and Matcha. Asparagus was battered with tempura, served atop corn puree with matcha salt. The batter was crisp and light. Have never coupled tempura with corn puree, but it was surprisingly creamy and compatible. Matcha salt was very delicate and subtle, we would have easily missed it had it not been mentioned on the menu.
Next up we had Ocean Trout, Egg Yolk and Ikura. This came with some wild mushroom rice. The trout was seared with a wonderfully carameliesd bottom. Egg yolk sauce was rich and creamy whilst the ikura on top kept it fresh. Shaved fennel to the side gave some balance. I also liked how flavoursome the rice was.
Final of the savoury courses was the Duck, Yam Bean and Leak. It came served with egg soup. The duck breast was roasted to allow for a golden brown skin but a pink rare flesh. Fat content of the duck was quite minimal, the texture was smooth and it was quite complimentary to the sauce. The egg soup was warm and soothing, making for a nice way to conclude the savory aspect of our meal.
As for the dessesrt, we were lucky enough to have our pick of one each from the menu. They were petite bite sized pieces of joy.
Iron Fist opted for the Monaka with Caramel and Almonds in a crispy wafer shell. It was light and airy but intense at the same time.
I had the Choux with Dark Chocolate and Whiskey. Rich and creamy, it was the perfect sweet note to end a delightful meal.
Taste: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Environment: 8/10
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